Binding machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for binding bales of material comprises a binding unit, a feed mechanism for feeding the binding wire and a wire guide track. The binding unit itself comprises a guide bar, a locking unit, a twisting unit and a cutting unit.

United States Patent 1191 Stromberg et al.

1451 Dec. 30, 1975 [54] BINDING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Nils Erik Stromberg; Ulf Engelbert Lindberg, both of Sundsvall, Sweden [73] Assignee: Sunds Aktiebolag, Sundsvall,

Sweden [22] Filed: Apr. 26, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 464,675

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 10, 1973 Sweden 7306601 52 vs. C! 100/26; 100/31 [51] Int. Cl. B65B 13/04 [58] Field of Search 100/26, 31, 32, 33 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,581,794 4/1926 Del-laven 100/33 R 2,575,899 11/1951 Vining et al. 100/26 3,157,109 11/1964 Flanigan et al. 100/26 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-L. Footland Attorney, Agent, or FirmPierce, Scheffler & Parker [57] ABSTRACT A machine for binding bales of material comprises a binding unit, a feed mechanism for feeding the binding wire and a wire guide track. The binding unit itself comprises a guide bar, a locking unit, a twisting unit and a cutting unit.

8 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec.30, 1975 Sheet lof9 3,929,063

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet2 0f9 3,929,063

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 3 of 9 3,929,063

US. Pateht Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 4 01 9 3,929,063

ntm im US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 5 of9 3,929,063

3 L mm mm M EL fi @N m wE U,S. Patant Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 6 of 9 3,929,063

U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 7 of 9 3,929,063

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 8 of9 3,929,063

Sheet 9 of 9 US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 BINDING MACHINE This invention relates to a machine for binding objects with wire, for example bales of fibre material, logs, sawn timber etc.

Pulp bales normally are bound in the form of stacks comprising a definite number of bales, usually six or eight bales divided into two stacks. Such a unit load then has a weight of between one and two tons. It is, therefore, very important that the wire binding, which at a wire diameter of 3 mm normally comprises -7 wires binding together the unit load, has a sufficient strength, as often several persons are present close to the load when it is being lifted, which lifting is effected directly on the wires. The equipment applied to twist the tie in a wire loop and the wire tie proper, therefore, are subject of a very careful safety control, and comprehensive safety regulations have been issued by the authorities.

When in a binding machine parts being essential for the twisting of the tie are to be exchanged, the machine must be tested before being approved for use in normal operation. This testing can imply long operation breaks, because it is to be carried out by certain authorized persons who must not be employed with the company using the machine.

The present invention eliminates the risk of such operation breaks, due to the fact that the details essential for the twisting of the tie have been assembled to one unit, i.e. the binding unit, which is independent of the remaining parts of the binding machine. The binding unit, furthermore, has been given a simple and reliable design capable of producing a strong tie with no projecting wire ends. The binding unit by its design renders possible its rapid exchange by another binding unit, which already previously has been tested and approved. The storage time, consequently, is only as long as the time required for the binding unit exchange.

The binding machine according to the invention comprises a feed mechanism for binding wire, a wire guide track and a binding unit. The binding unit comprises a guide bar, a locking unit, a twisting unit and a cutting unit.

The wire guide track extends around the object to be bound and serves as a guide for the wire being fed around said object. The wire thereby passes through the binding unit. When the wire arrives at the binding unit for the second time, the free wire end is stopped and retained in the locking unit. The wire is thereafter stretched by reversing the direction of the feed mechanism. The wire guide track is thereby opened, and the wire is drawn tight around the object to be bound, whereafter the tie is twisted.

It may be desirable to make the distance between the binding unit and the object to be bound adjustable, so as to be able to somewhat relax the wire binding when non-elastic objects such as wood products are to be bound and thereby to render it possible in a simple manner to insert lifting members beneath the wires. When elastic objects such as pulp bales are to be bound, the object is to be placed adjacent the binding unit.

The characterizing features of the invention become apparent from the attached claims.

A binding machine according to the invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a binding machine according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the binding machine.

FIG. 3 is a section through the wire guide track, IIIIII in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view from above of the binding unit.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the binding unit, V-V in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are sections of the locking unit along VIVI in FIG. 5 in position for wire feed and, respectively, twisting.

FIG. 8 is a section of the ejector along VIII-VIII in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a section of the twisting unit along IXIX in FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is a section of the cutting unit along X-X in FIG. 5.

FIG. 11 shows a tie twisted in the machine.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the binding machine is shown from two sides. A conveying means 2 advances the object to be bound 1 to the machine. A movable wall element 4 runs on a bar 3 above the object for pushing the object against an adjustable wall element 5 in the binding machine.

The binding machine comprises a feed mechanism 6 for feeding binding wire 7 from a wire supply (not shown), an openable wire guide track 8 for guiding the wire around the object to be bound 1, a binding unit 9 which comprises a guide bar 10, a locking unit, a twisting unit and a cutting unit. The binding machine in its entirety, and thus also the binding unit 9, are liftable and lowerable by adjustable means 11, 12 in relation to the table 13, on which the object to be bound 1 is placed. Said lifting and lowering implies the possibility of varying the length of a wire loop.

The feed mechanism 6 comprises a guide wheel 14, around which the wire 7 runs one revolution, and a driven feed wheel 15, against which a plurality of counterpressure rollers 16 abut to ensure the wire feed. A sensing device (not shown) is provided for the outward bending of the wire after the feed wheel, which bending takes place when the free wire end is being stopped in the binding unit 9. The sensing device for said bending produces an impulse for reversing the feed wheel 15 whereby the wire is stretched around the object to be bound. The wire, which thereby is drawn back, is collected in the form ofa wire loop 17 in a space 18 above the guide wheel 14. Said space 18 is so adjusted to the wire dimension that the wire cannot intersect itself, but forms a single loop 17.

The wire is fed from the feed mechanism 6 out into the wire guide track 8, through the binding unit 9, the wire guide track 8 and again to the binding unit 9. The wire guide track comprises openable covers 19 pro-' vided with grooves 20 for the wire. The covers 19 are during the wire feed held in closed position by levers 21, which are actuated by plungers 22, which in their turn are actuated by a spring 23 and by hydraulic pressure. After completed wire feed, the hydraulic pressure is relieved, and the wire can upon its stretching be drawn out of the track 8 as the covers 19 spring aside.

The hydraulic system is so designed, for safety reasons, that simultaneously with the stopping of the hydraulic liquid supply to the plungers 22 for retaining the covers 19 also the supply of hydraulic liquid for driving the feed mechanism 6 is stopped. This eliminates the risk that the wire opens the covers in the wire guide track 8 and is fed out into the room.

3 For bending the wire in the wire guide track 8, guide curves 24 are provided in the corners of the track. Said curves 24 consist of rollers with intermediate plates for bending the wire.

The exchangeable binding unit 9 is disposed beneath the object to be bound and detachably attached to a drive unit 25 for driving the units comprised in the binding unit 9. The drive unit 25 includes single-acting pistons for driving the guide bar 10, the locking unit, the cutting unit and drive wheels 26 for driving the twisting unit. This implies that the binding unit 9, independently of the drive unit 25, is exchangeable with another binding unit, which was previously tested and approved, so that further testing is not required.

The guide bar consists of two parts 10a, 10b, which are movable toward and away from each other by means of a lever 27a, 27b, which are actuated by two pistons (not shown) in the drive unit for closing and, respectively, opening the bar. The levers 27a, b and corresponding pistons are arranged in agreement with the arrangement of the locking unit and cutting unit described below. The object of the guide bar 10 is to guide the wire through the binding unit 9, and it permits the wire to pass twice therethrough, once directly from the feed mechanism 6 and the second time after the wire was fed around the wire guide track 8. The groove 28 of the guide bar which is formed in one, 10a, of its two parts provides space for two wires. At its second passage, the wire will lie adjacent and above the wire part from the first passage.

The locking unit comprises a stop member 29, which is inserted in the part 10a of the guide bar 10 including the groove 28. The stop member 29 is formed as a one-wire passageway where the second passageway is closed by an inclined surface. Consequently, when the wire is fed through the binding unit 9 for the second time, the free wire end is stopped by the inclined surface and by the wire, which already has passed the stop member 29. The locking unit further comprises a tongs having a movable part 30 and a stationary part 31. The movable tongs part 30 is operated by a lever 32, which is actuated by two pistons 33, 34 in the drive unit 25 for opening and closing the tongs. The movable tongs part 30 is provided with a clamping member 35 disposed on the same level as the free end of the wire and capable to clamp said free end against the stationary tongs part 31. The tongs permits longitudinal movement of the wire part not clamped as soon as the guide bar 10 has been opened (FIG. 7).

The twisting unit comprises a twisting roller 36 in the form of a toothed wheel, in which one tooth has been replaced by a radial slit 37 extending to the centre of the toothed wheel. Owing to the replacement of one of the teeth by the slit 37, the remaining teeth of the wheel have full strength. In order to ensure uniform driving, the driving is effected from a drive wheel 38 in the drive unit 25 via two transmitting wheels 39, 40 offset in the circumferential direction, of which wheels at least one always engages with the twisting roller 36.

During the wire feed, the slit 37 of the twisting roller is directed outwards to the object to be bound. The drive wheel 38 rotates at the wire twisting one revolution, the gearing thereby being such that the twisting roller 36 rotates several revolutions, preferably four. A switch 41 indicates when the drive wheel 38 has rotated one revolution. The drive wheel is stopped shortly thereafter and reversed against a mechanical stop 4 member 42, which determines the position of the drive wheel prior and subsequent to the twisting.

The twisting unit further comprises an ejector 43 with two legs, one on each side of the twisting roller 36. The ejector 43 extends in its projected position past the twisting roller 36 and through openings 44 in the guide bar 10, thereby ensuring that the completely twisted tie leaves the slit of the twisting roller and the guide bar. The ejector 43 is actuated by a singleacting piston 45 in the drive unit 25 which acts upon a return spring 46, which upon retraction of the piston returns the ejector to the starting position.

The cutting unit comprises a stationary cutting member 47 and a movable cutting member 48. The stationary cutting member 47 is provided with a groove 49 adjusted to the wire dimension. The groove is open outwardly toward the object to be bound and serves during the twisting as a thrust. A movable cutting member 48 is operated by a lever 50, which is actuated for cutting off the wire by two single-acting pistons 51, 52 in the drive unit. The movable cutting member 48 is disposed adjacent the stationary cutting member 47 and includes a groove 53 corresponding to the groove 49 in the stationary cutting member. One wall in this groove constitutes a cutter 54 and has a height corresponding to the wire diameter. The lower wire coming from the feed mechanism 6 is cut off thereby that the movable cutting member 48 is moved relative to the stationary cutting member 47. An adjusting screw 55 renders it possible to control the position of the movable cutting member 48 in relation to the stationary cutting member.

The groove 53 in the movable cutting member 48 is defined upwardly by a pin 56 secured on the wall opposed to the cutter 54. Said pin 56 has as its object, together with the tongs 30, 31 to retain the wire in the binding unit 9 during the stretching and twisting of the wire.

The binding machine operates as follows.

The feed mechanism 6 is started and feeds wire 7 through the binding unit 9, the wire guide track 8 and again to the binding unit 9 where the free wire end is stopped by the stop member 29 in the locking unit. The wire then is bent outwards between the feed wheel 15 and the binding unit 9 and thereby actuates a limit switch (not shown), which produces an impulse for retaining the free wire end in the tongs 30, 31.

In this position, the machine waits until an object to be bound is positioned for binding, whereafter the guide bar 10 is opened and the hydraulic pressure on the plungers 22 retaining the covers 19 in the wire guide track 8 is discontinued. The covers 19, however, are still maintained closed by the springs 23. The wire is now stretched whereby that the feed wheel 15 is reversed, whereby the wire is drawn out of the wire guide track 8 and placed in abutment to the object to be bound 1. The wire, however, still is retained in the binding unit 9 between the tongs 30, 31 and the pin 56 of the movable cutting member.

The twisting roller 36 is rotated for twisting the tie. Upon completed twisting, the wire is cut off in the cutting unit at the same time as the tongs 30, 31 is released. Due to the stretching moment remaining over the feed wheel 15, the wire is drawn back after the cutting and stopped by an impulse from a switch 57 some distance from the binding unit 9.

The ejector 43 is projected and ensures that the tie leaves the binding unit 9. The guide bar 10 then is closed, and the hydraulic pressure again acts on the plungers 22 holding the wire guide track 8 closed. The ejector 43, finally, is retracted, and a new wire feed can be commenced.

We claim:

1. A binding machine for binding objects with wire,

comprising a device (6) for feeding and stretching the wire;

a track (8) for guiding the wire around an object to be bound;

a locking unit comprising a stop member (29) for the free wire end as well as a movable (30) and a stationary (31) tongs part for locking the free wire end;

a twisting unit comprising a rotary twisting roller (36) in the form of a toothed wheel provided with a radial slit (37) for twisting the wire parts;

a cutting unit comprising a movable (48) and a stationary (47) cutting member for cutting off the wire;

a openable guide bar for guiding the wire between the units;

lever means (32) for operating the movable tongs part (30);

a lever member (50) for operating the movable cutting member (48);

lever means (27a, 27b) for operating the openable guide bar (10); and

transmitting wheels (39) (40) for transmitting drive force to the twisting roller (36);

said locking unit, twisting unit, cutting unit, openable guide bar, lever means, lever member and transmitting wheels all being assembled in one binding unit (9), and

a drive unit (25) attached to the binding unit (9) for driving the parts assembled in said binding unit (9),

said binding machine being further characterized in that said lever means and said lever member and, respectively, the transmitting wheels are adapted to be driven only by frictional contact with drive means (33, 34, 51, 52), and, respectively, a drive wheel (38) in said drive unit (25).

2. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the stop member (29) is a one-wire passageway, and that the free wire end is stopped between said member and the wire in said passageway.

3. A binding machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the same comprises an ejector member (43) for ejecting the completely twisted tie from the binding unit (9) is positioned on both sides of the twisting roller (36), and that the ejector member (43) is actuated by piston means (45, 46).

4. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid radial slit (37) in the toothed wheel constituting the twisting roller (36) replaces a tooth in the wheel, and that the driving is effected via two transmitting wheels (39, 40) offset in the circumferential direction of the twisting roller.

5. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that during the stretching and twisting operation the wire parts are retained in the binding unit (9) by the locking unit and cutting unit, and that the movable cutting member (48) is provided with a pin (56), which prevents the wire from being drawn out of the cutting unit during the stretching operation.

6. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the binding unit (9) and the adjacent side of the object to be bound (1) is adjustable.

7. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that piston means (33, 34) are provided to actuate, via the lever (32) in the binding unit (9) the movable tongs part (30) and that piston means (51, 52) are provided to actuate via lever (50), the movable cutting member (48) and that piston means are provided to actuate, via lever (27a, 27b), the openable guide bar (10).

8. A binding machine according to claim 7 characterized in that all levers are rotatable about shafts having a common centre. 

1. A binding machine for binding objects with wire, comprising a device (6) for feeding and stretching the wire; a track (8) for guiding the wire around an object to be bound; a locking unit comprising a stop member (29) for the free wire end as well as a movable (30) and a stationary (31) tongs part for locking the free wire end; a twisting unit comprising a rotary twisting roller (36) in the form of a toothed wheel provided with a radial slit (37) for twisting the wire parts; a cutting unit comprising a movable (48) and a stationary (47) cutting member for cutting off the wire; a openable guide bar (10) for guiding the wire between the units; lever means (32) for operating the movable tongs part (30); a lever member (50) for operating the movable cutting member (48); lever means (27a, 27b) for operating the openable guide bar (10); and transmitting wheels (39) (40) for transmitting drive force to the twisting roller (36); said locking unit, twisting unit, cutting unit, openable guide bar, lever means, lever member and transmitting wheels all being assembled in one binding unit (9), and a drive unit (25) attached to the binding unit (9) for driving the parts assembled in said bindiNg unit (9), said binding machine being further characterized in that said lever means and said lever member and, respectively, the transmitting wheels are adapted to be driven only by frictional contact with drive means (33, 34, 51, 52), and, respectively, a drive wheel (38) in said drive unit (25).
 2. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the stop member (29) is a one-wire passageway, and that the free wire end is stopped between said member and the wire in said passageway.
 3. A binding machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the same comprises an ejector member (43) for ejecting the completely twisted tie from the binding unit (9) is positioned on both sides of the twisting roller (36), and that the ejector member (43) is actuated by piston means (45, 46).
 4. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid radial slit (37) in the toothed wheel constituting the twisting roller (36) replaces a tooth in the wheel, and that the driving is effected via two transmitting wheels (39, 40) offset in the circumferential direction of the twisting roller.
 5. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that during the stretching and twisting operation the wire parts are retained in the binding unit (9) by the locking unit and cutting unit, and that the movable cutting member (48) is provided with a pin (56), which prevents the wire from being drawn out of the cutting unit during the stretching operation.
 6. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the binding unit (9) and the adjacent side of the object to be bound (1) is adjustable.
 7. A binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that piston means (33, 34) are provided to actuate, via the lever (32) in the binding unit (9) the movable tongs part (30) and that piston means (51, 52) are provided to actuate via lever (50), the movable cutting member (48) and that piston means are provided to actuate, via lever (27a, 27b), the openable guide bar (10).
 8. A binding machine according to claim 7 characterized in that all levers are rotatable about shafts having a common centre. 